The present invention relates generally to a solar cell device and more particularly, to a structure and method of inducing charge inversion in the upper portion of a silicon substrate.
Solar cells are devices that convert light energy into electrical energy by the photovoltaic effect. More specifically, solar cells include a semiconductor material that absorbs photons from light. When the photons are absorbed, valance band electrons present in the semiconductor material become excited, jump to the conduction band, and become free. The free electrons then diffuse through the semiconductor material. Some of the free electrons may reach a junction where they are accelerated into a different material, typically a metal contact, by a built-in potential. This movement generates an electromotive force, thus converting some of the light energy into electric energy.